Rhythms, Nutrition

The day nursery is supported by a healthy rhythmical life, giving the child the time to dream their way from this to that. Rhythm is the transition or movement from one activity to the next. At Awhina parents come to experience these healthy rhythms through their child and the child experiences a sense of comfort and security in knowing what is to happen next. Each child is guided into a right movement through the day, which supports and ensures that the child is well-rested, happy and able to make a transition back into their home environment.

Infants are cared for by their own primary caregiver who maintains this role until such time as the child is ready to step away to be tended by other caregivers. This reflects a more ‘intimate’ way of working, in that the children are supported in a family grouping rather than segregated by age; at the same time, the very young have a protected and quieter space meeting their needs. The child experiences the family constitution of male and female co-workers and a mix of children of varying ages.

Hygiene rhythms are an important aspect of this very young age group and the caregiver supports the child into good practices with hand washing, teeth cleaning and toileting, allowing them to be responsible for their ‘own’ hygiene in a healthy way. It is important to ‘rhythmitise’ the child into good hygiene practices at an age when it simply becomes part of what happens naturally.

The child is supported with the optimum nutrition gained from ‘Demeter’ grains – a different grain for each mid day meal – and produce including seasonal vegetables from the nursery garden. For many children, the food served is not what they are used to, but experience shows that, with patience, the child comes to eagerly anticipate the meals prepared with love and consciousness of the life forces. Our recipes are made available to parents who want to prepare the same food at home.